Anchoring device

ABSTRACT

An anchoring device for securing objects and including a shaped rail ( 2 ) having a substantially C-shaped cross-section and inwardly directed rims ( 7   a,    7   b ) provided with a tooth profile ( 13 ), and a holding member ( 1 ) provided with a toothing ( 12 ) cooperating with the tooth profile ( 13 ) of the rims ( 7   a,    7   b ) and having a distribution ( 12   b ) of teeth ( 12   a ) different from the predetermined distribution ( 13   b ) of the teeth ( 13   a ) of the tooth profile ( 13 ).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to an anchoring device having ashaped rail having a substantially C-shaped cross-section and inwardlydirected longitudinal rims provided with a tooth profile and a holdingmember provided with a toothing cooperating with the tooth profile ofthe longitudinal rims.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] Anchoring devices of the type described above are used forsecuring objects, e.g., pipes, on shaped rails having a substantiallyC-shaped cross-section. The shaped rail has extending parallel to eachother, longitudinal rims extending into the interior space of the rail.The holding member is located in the interior space of the rail and, ina pre-assembled condition, can be displaced in the longitudinaldirection. In order to prevent a longitudinal displacement of theholding member relative to the rail in the securing condition of theholding member, both the longitudinal rims of the rail and the holdingmember are provided with respective toothings that cooperated with eachother.

[0005] German Publication DE-4 432996A1 disclosed an anchoring devicehaving a shaped rail with a substantially C-shaped cross-section and aholding member with toothing. The rail has inwardly directedlongitudinal rims that cooperate with the holding member toothing. Dueto the complementary profiles of the holding member toothing and thetooth profile of the rail longitudinal rims, in the securing position ofthe holding member, the holding member toothing and the tooth profile ofthe rail longitudinal rims form-lockingly engage each other, whereby alongitudinal displacement of the holding member relative to the rail isprevented. In a temporary attachment position the holding membertoothing engages the tooth profile of the rail longitudinal rims so thatwhile a slight locking effect is obtained, the holding member can bedisplaced within the rail in the longitudinal direction.

[0006] European Publication EP-278252 A2 likewise discloses an anchoringdevice having a shaped rail with a substantially C-shaped cross-sectionand a holding member with toothing. The rail has longitudinal rims witha tooth profile. The tooth profile, e.g., is formed by rectangularlyshaped, saw tooth-shaped or circular recesses. The holding member, inorder to insure a form-locking engagement of both parts in the securingposition, has a complementary toothing. The drawback of all of the knownembodiments of anchoring devices of the type described above consists inthat the achieved locking effect does not provide for any temporarysecure attachment of the two parts because neither the holding membertoothing nor the tooth profile of the rail longitudinal rims have aramp.

[0007] A further drawback of the known solution consists in that thecoarsely formed holding member toothing and the tooth profile of therail longitudinal rims does not provide for a fine adjustment of theposition of the holding member relative to the rail which both partsshould occupy in the securing condition, when a form-locking engagementtakes place, to insure that the device can withstand a predeterminedload. A more precise formation of the holding member toothing and thetooth profile of the rail longitudinal rims significantly increasesmanufacturing costs, in particular, of the rail.

[0008] Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide ananchoring device having a shaped rail with a substantially C-shapedcross-section and a holding member with toothing and which can beeconomically manufactured.

[0009] Another object of the present invention is to provide ananchoring device of the type discussed above and which would insure, onone hand, a fine adjustment of the holding member relative to the railand, on the other hand, is capable to reliably withstand high loads.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] These and other objects of the present invention, which willbecome apparent hereinafter, are achieved by providing a device of thetype described above and in which the distribution of teeth of theholding member toothing differs from the teeth distribution of the toothprofile of the rail longitudinal rims.

[0011] The different distribution of the teeth of the holding membertoothing and of the tooth profile of the rail longitudinal rims insure afine offset of the holding member relative to the rail upon aform-locking engagement of the teeth. Advantageously, the holding membertoothing has a finer distribution of the teeth than the tooth profile ofthe rail longitudinal rims which insure an economical manufacturing ofthe rail and a robust tooth profile.

[0012] In order to insure an optimal, form-locking connection of theholding member and the rail in the securing position, the distributionof the teeth of the tooth profile of the longitudinal rims exceeds inseveral times, in particular, in two times, the distribution of theteeth of the holding member toothing. Advantageously, the holding membertoothing and/or the tooth profile of the rail longitudinal rims have asaw tooth shape which permits to obtain an optimal locking effect duringdisplacement of the holding member relative to the rail. Naturally, itis within the scope of the invention, to form the holding membertoothing and the tooth profile of the rail longitudinal rims with teethhaving another geometrical profile; e.g., the teeth can be formed aspins with alternating recesses there between or be formed by rectangularrecesses.

[0013] To prevent wedging of the toothing of the holding member with thetooth profile of the rail longitudinal rims, the toothing has firstguide surfaces movable, at least partially, in contact with second guidesurfaces of the tooth profile, with the first guide surfaces beinginclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the rail at anangle corresponding at most to an angle at which the second guidesurfaces are inclined to the longitudinal direction.

[0014] The novel features of the present invention, which are consideredas characteristic for the invention, are set forth in the appendedclaims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction andits mode of operation, together with additional advantages and objectsthereof, will be best understood from the following detailed descriptionof preferred embodiments, when read with reference to the accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The drawings show:

[0016]FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an anchoringdevice according to the present invention;

[0017]FIG. 2 a transverse cross-sectional view of the anchoring deviceshown in FIG. 1 along line II-II; and

[0018]FIG. 3 a detailed view of a section III in FIG. 1 at an increasedscale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0019] An anchoring device according to the present invention, which isshown in FIGS. 1-2, has a holding member 1 and a shaped rail 2 having aC-shaped cross-section.

[0020] The rail 2 has a bottom 3 and two parallel side surfaces 4 a, 4 bextending from the bottom at a right angle thereto. The free ends of theside surfaces 4 a, 4 b are bent inward into the interior space 6 of therail 2 and form two longitudinal rims 7 a, 7 b. The longitudinal rims 7a, 7 b limit a longitudinal opening 8 of the rail 2 and having a widthb1.

[0021] Within the inner space 6 of the rail 2, there is located theholding member 1 having a width b2 smaller than the width b1 of thelongitudinal opening 8 of the rail 2. The length L1 of the holdingmember 1 is greater than the width b1 of the longitudinal opening 8 ofthe rail 2. The holding member 1 has a through-bore 9 with an innerthread 11. The through-bore 9 extends transverse to the longitudinaldirection L and is located somewhat in the middle of the holding member1. The thread 11 can cooperate, e.g., with a threaded rod (not shown).

[0022] The holding member 1 is provided with a toothing 12 thatcooperates with a tooth profile 13 provided on the end surfaces of thelongitudinal rims 7 a, 7 b of the side surfaces 4 a, 4 b of the rail 2.The toothing 12 has a distribution 12 b of teeth 12 a different from adistribution 13 b of teeth 13 a of the tooth profile 13 in thelongitudinal direction L of the rail 2. The distribution 13 b of theteeth 13 a of the tooth profile 13 exceeds in several times, inparticular in two times, the distribution 12 b of the teeth 12 a of thetoothing 12. The toothing 12 has first guide surfaces 15 that can bebrought into contact with second guide surfaces 16 of the tooth profile13. The inclination angle α of the guide surfaces 15 with respect to thelongitudinal direction L at most can correspond to the inclination angleβ of the second guide surfaces 13 with respect to the longitudinaldirection.

[0023] When the anchoring device according to the present invention isused for securing an object, the holding member 1 is inserted into theinferior space 6 of the rail 2 through the longitudinal opening 8.Because the width b1 of the longitudinal opening 8 is larger than thewidth b2 of the holding member 1, it is possible to insert the holdingmember 1 through the opening 8 so that it extends parallel to thelongitudinal direction L. When a plate-shaped holding plate 18, whichlies on the rims 7 a, 7 b of the side surfaces 4 a, 4 b of the rail 2,is connected with the holding member 1, e.g., by a threaded rod, theholding member 1 would so rotate relative to the rail 2 that the holdingmember 1 would engage from below, at least partially, the longitudinalrims 7 a, 7 b. The insure a temporary attachment of the holding member 1to the rail 2, the longitudinal rims 7 a, 7 b are slightly stressedbetween the holding plate 18 and the holding member 1. In the conditionof a temporary attachment, the holding member 1 is offset with respectto the rail 2 in the longitudinal direction L. The toothing 12 slightlyengages the tooth profile 13, whereby the holding member 1 and the rail2 become locked with each other. When the holding member 1 occupies itsintended position, the rims 7 a, 7 b and stressed between the holdingplate 18 and the holding member 1 and are fixedly secured there betweenas shown in FIGS. 1-2. The toothing 12 form-lockingly engages the toothprofile 13, making the displacement of the holding member 1 in thelongitudinal direction L impossible.

[0024] Though the present invention was shown and described withreferences to the preferred embodiment, such is merely illustrative ofthe present invention and are not to be construed as a limitationthereof and various

What is claimed is
 1. An anchoring device for securing objects,comprising a shaped rail (2) having a substantially C-shapedcross-section and inwardly directed longitudinal rims (7 a, 7 b)provided with a tooth profile (13) having a predetermined distribution(13 b) of teeth (13 a) thereof; and a holding member (1) provided with atoothing (12) cooperating with the tooth profile (13) of thelongitudinal rims (7 a, 7 b) and having a distribution (12 b) of teeth(12 a) thereof different from the predetermined distribution (13 b) ofthe teeth (13 a) of the tooth profile (13).
 2. An anchoring deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the distribution (13 b) of the teeth (13a) of the tooth profile (13) exceeds the distribution (12 b) of theteeth (12 a) of the toothing (12) in several times.
 3. An anchoringdevice according to claim 1, wherein the toothing (12) has first guidesurfaces (15) at least partially movable into contact with second guidesurfaces (16) of the tooth profile (13), and wherein the first guidesurfaces (15) are inclined with respect to a longitudinal direction (L)of the rail (2) at a first angle (α) that corresponding at most to asecond angle (β) at which the second guide surfaces (16) are inclined tothe longitudinal direction (L).